Textile-disintegrating machine



. F. VON OSTEN.

TEXTILE DISINTEGRATING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. II, I9I9.

Patented Oct. 12, 1920.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

1. W 2 Mm WO MD v mm m I? .c m i F. VON OSTEN.

TEXTILE DISINTEGRATING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 11, 1919 lNVENTOR 8172'? Van fia'l'eig, BY

j J 1) ATTO R N EYS F. VON OSTEN.

TEXTILE DISINTEGRATING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 1-1. 1 919.

1,355,518. I Patented 001;. 12, 1920.

4 SHEETSSHEET 3.

INVENTOR fa afivzal rm 0.927014 3mg W ATTORNEYS F VON OSTEN.

TEXTELE DISINTEGRATING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. I1, 1919.

1,355,518. Patented Oct. 12,1920.

4 SHEETSSHEET 4.

ATTO R N EYS thereof, all of which will be hereinafter more UNHTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FREDERICK VON OSTEN, OF EAST ORANGE, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF T0 CHARLES SGHUELER, OF EAST ORANGE, NEW JERSEY.

TEXTILE-DISINTEGRATING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 12, 1920.

Application filed December 11, 1919. Serial No. 344,043.

I '0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK VON OSTEN,

citizen of the United States, residing at East Orange, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Textile-Disintegrating Machines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact'description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to characters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

The present invention relates, generally, to improvements in machines for disintegrating teXtile waste and scrap to produce lint to the action of the disintegrating or teasing element of the machine.

Another object of the invention is to provide means for separating dirt, dust and similar foreign matter from the material treated and from the lint formed by the machine.

Other objects of the invention, not at this time more particularly enumerated, will be clearly understood from the following detailed description of the same.

lVith the various objects of the invention in view, the same consists, primarily, in the novel disintegrating machine hereinafter set forth; and, furthermore, the invention consists in the novel arrangements and combinations of the various devices and parts, as well as in the details of the construction fully described and claimed.

The invention is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of the novel disintegrating machine.

F ig: 2 is a vertical longitudinal section of said machine.

Fig. 3 is a detail transverse section, taken on line 3-3 in said Fig. 2, and drawn on an enlarged scale.

Fig. 4 is a detail transverse section taken on line 44 in said Fig. 2, showing the feeding and scrap holding elem nts in elevation, said view being also drawn'on an enlarged scale.

Fig. 5 is a detail transverse section taken on line 5-5 in said Fig. 1, drawn on an enlarged scale.

Fig. 6 is a detail transverse section taken on line 66 in said Fig. 2, and drawn on an enlarged scale. i

Fig. 7 is a detail section ofa s lightlymodified form of teasing roll.

Fig. 8 is a detail view of a modified arrangement of teasing brush elements for said teasing roll; and Fig. 9 is a transverse section taken on line 9-9 in said Fig. 8.

Similar characters of reference re employed in all of the hereinabove describedviews to indicate corresponding parts.

Referring now to said drawings, the reference character 1 indicates a main frame upon which are mounted in associated arrangement the several operative elements and devices making up the machine. Connected with the forward end of said frame 1 are outwardly projecting brackets 2 in which are '1 journaled longitudinally spaced transverse shafts 3 carrying rollers 4 over which runs an endless, apron or conveyer belt 5. This apron or conveyer belt is preferably made of woven wire mesh, or any other material providing open interstices through which dirt and other 'foreign material, accompanying the'scrap fed forward by the movement of said apron or belt, may fall, and thus be separated from the scrap, as the latter enters I the machine. 7

Mounted in bearings 6, 'which are supported by the frame 1, are the journals 7 of a hollow perforate feed roller 8, which is mounted" in the rear of and adjacent to the inner end of said apron or conveyer belt 5. One endof said roller 8is, open so as to communicate with a stationary hood or end cap 9 having a tubular outlet member 10, with' which is connected a pipe 11 leading to any suitable form of suction or air exhaust means (not shown), whereby a suction is set i about the axis of the roll.

up within said roller 8, so that dirt and dust still accompanying the scrap material,as it passes away from said apron or conveyer belt and over said roller 8, may be sucked through the perforations 8' of said roller, and thence carried away through the pipe 11 to be discharged exteriorly of the machine.

Mounted in bearings 12 which are Vertically movable in guideways 13 provided in said frame 1 is a shaft 14 carrying an idler roller 15, preferably equipped with a resilient facing16 of rubber, leather, or some other suitable material. Said idler roller, as shown, is positioned above the feed roller 8, and its bearings are held under adjustable upwardly yielding tension by tension springs 17, the latter being backed by adjusting screws 18 connected with said frame, all so that said idler roller 15 may be capable of exerting a yielding pressure toward said feed roller 8, so as to hold the material against the latter whereby it is carried into the ma chine to be operated upon, as will presently be set forth.

Mounted on said frame 1 are adjustable bearing members 19 in which is journaled the transverse shaft 20 of a novel construction of disintegrating or teasing roll. This teasing roll comprises a pair of side members or disks 21 fixed on said shaft, between which extend, in inwardly spaced relation to the peripheries of the same, a series of carrying rods 22 disposed in an annular row Arranged over each carrying rod 22 is aloose sleeve 23. Mounted in longitudinally spaced extension along each sleeve are a series of teasing brush elements, each comprising a tuft or bunch of metallic bristles24 secured in a butt-piece 25, said butt-piece having an eyemember 26 which is engaged about the sleeve. As thus arranged each carrying rod and its sleeve supports a row of teasing brushes extending between said side members 21. The said teasing brushes as so mounted, are of such length that their free ends project a short distance beyond the peripheries of said side members 21. Furthermore, since the sleeves 23 are loose on said rods 22 said rows of brushes are capable of an oscillatable or swinging motion as the sleeves turn on the rods, and since the eye-member 26 of each brush butt-piece 25 is loose on said sleeves, each brush in turn may swing or pivot individually on the sleeve. By this manner of mounting the teasing brush elements, the same tend to swing radially outward under the influence of centrifugal force when the roll is rapidly rotated, and yet are capable of yielding to the resistance oflered when the ends of the brush tufts contact with the material during the teasing or disintegrating operation, so'that the fibers of the material are teased out in a comparatively gentle manner so as not to break the long fibers wardly thereof, rather than roughly torn or shredded as would be the case were toothed picker rolls or similar elements used. The above described characteristics of the teasing roll provide one of the important and novel features of my present invention. Supported by and extending between the side members 21, so as to be located between each row of teasing brushes are abutment or stop rods 27, so disposed as to limit the yielding or oscillating movement of the teasing brushes. The disintegrating or teasing roll thus constructed is so mounted on the frame 1, that, when rotated, the ends of the teasing brushes will be carried into operativeengagement with the material passing downover the inner side of the feed roller 8. In order to provide for the desired degree of contact of said brushes with said material the teasing roll is journaled in said adjustable bearings 19, so that by adjusting the latter, the teasing roll may be moved nearer to or farther back from the feed roller. Fixed on said shaft 20 is a driving pulley 28, over which runs a drivingbelt 29, driven from any suitable source of power to produce the desired high speed rotation of said teasing roll. Mounted on said frame 1 is a cover or hood to extend over and inclose said teasing roll.

In Fig. 7 I have illustrated a slightly modified arrangement of teasing brush construction. In this construction in place of the teasing brush elements above described, I provide a tuft of metallic bristles 30, doubled upon itself to bring the free ends of the bristles together and form a loop or eye 31 at the butt, the bristles being held together 1n bunched arrangement by a retaining ring 32 above the said loop or eye 31. The loops or eyes 31 are threaded over the sleeves 23, and in other respects the construction of the teasing roll is the same as above described.

In Figs. 8 and 9 I have illustrated still another modified construction and mounting of teasing brush elements. In this construction a carrying rod 22 is provided upon which are mounted rows of metallic bristles. The said bristles are each doubled upon themselves to bring their free ends 33 in outwardly projecting relation, the intermediate body of each bristle being bent in the form of a loop or eye 34:, the junctu'res of the outwardly projecting bristle portions and loops or eyes being pinched together as at 35 to prevent displacement of the bristles from the rods 22'. The bristle members thus formed are threaded over the rod 22' to form a continuous row co-extensive with the length of each rod. Each bristle is capable of an individual oscillatable swinging movement upon the rod 22 within the limit prescribed by the abutment or stop rods 27.

Extending transversely beneath said teasing roll, and journaled in adjustable bearings 36 supported in said frame 1, is a transverse shaft 37 upon which is fixed a drum 38 provided with a surface face comprised of short metallic bristles 39. The shaft 37,

ported by its shaft 42, which is journaled in adjustable bearings 43 mounted in the frame 1, so as to cause the bristles 41 to also intermesh, in passing, with the bristles of the teasing roll, for the same purpose. The latter drum 40 is spaced rearwardly of said drum 38. Journaled in adjustable bear ings 44 supported in said frame 1, so as to extend between said drums 38 and 40, is a shaft 45 upon which is fixeda brush roller 46 having a surface of long metallic bristles 47. The bristles 47 intermesh, in passing, respectively with the bristles of the respective drums 38 and 40, and serve to clean. the same by removing therefrom any fiber or material adhering thereto. For proper operative effect the respective drums 38 and 40 are rotated at comparatively low speed, while the teasing roll moves very rapidly or at high speed, consequently not only will the fibers of teased material be further brushed out as they pass between the drums and teasing roll, but, due to the drag of the former upon the latter, said fibers Will be removed from the teasing roll for discharge from the machine as will be subsequently described. The brush roller 46 ,is rotated at higher speed than are the drums 38 and 40 so that its bristles will readily remove adhering material from the latter. The means for transmitting rotary motion to said drums 38 and 40 comprise a driving shaft 48 journaled in said frame 1 to one end of which is fixed a driving pulley 49, driven by a belt 50 from a suitable source of power. Fixed on said driving shaft 48 is a spur gear 51, which meshes with a gear wheel 52 of larger diameterfixed on the shaft 37 of said drum 38, so that the latter is driven at reduced or slow speed. The shaft 42 of the drum 40 is also provided with a similar gear wheel 53. Mounted to rotate idly-upon a hub sleeve 54, with which one of the bearings 44 is provided, is a spur gear 55, which meshes respectively with the gear wheels 52 and 53, thereby driving the drum 40 at the same speed and in the same direction as the drum 38. The brush roller 46 is independently driven at. high speed by means of a driving pulley 56, over which runs a driving belt 56' driven from any suitable source of power.

The feed roller 8 above described may be driven from a pulley 57, fixed on said shaft 37 of said drum 38, by means of a belt 58 running over a pulley 59 fixed to one of its journals 7. The conveyer belt or apron 5 may be driven by a sprocket wheel 60, fixed on said feed roll journal 7, by a chain 61 running over a sprocket 62 fixed on the shaft 3 of the adjacent conveyer belt carrying roller 4, whereby the latter is rotated to cause the travel of said conveyer belt. Of course, it will be obvious, that the. transmission mechanism above described, may be subjectto more or less variation, both as to means and arrangement, so long as the in bearing arms 63, so as to be disposed above and slightly to the rear of the center of said feed roll, is a shaft 64 driven by a sprocket 65, over which runs a chain 66 driven from a sprocket 67 fixed on a journal 7 of said feed roll 8. Operated by said shaft 64 is a set of eccentrics 68, and alsooperated b said shaft-is, a second set of eccentrics 69. Cbnnected by depending connecting rods 70 with said first set of eccentrics 68 is a vertically reciprocable plate 71 provided at its lower free ends with a plurality of down wardly projectin longitudinally spaced resilient gripping ngers 72, the free ends of which curveinwardly toward the inner face of said feed roll 8, and engage the same when the fingers are downwardly moved. In like manner, connected by depending connecting rods 73 with said second set of eccentrics 69 is a second vertically reciprocable plate 74 provided at its lower free end with a plurality of downwardly projecting longitudinally spaced resilient gripping fingers 75, the same being disposed in straddling relation to the fingers 72 of said first mentioned plate 71,. and the free ends of the same also curving inwardly toward the inner face of the feed roll 8. The said plates held against lateral displacement by tongues 7 6'which ride in guide grooves 77 provided in said bearing arms 63. In'operation as the material passes between said feed roll 8 and said idler roll 15 toward the teasing roll, the fingers of the respective plates, as they move alternately up and down, grip the material and hold the same against the inner face of the feed roll 8', the downwardly moving fingers keeping pace with the movement of the feed roll thus the material is held or gripped while being disintegrated and teased out by the rapidly passing teasing brushes, and while one set of downwardly moving fingers is engaging and gripping the material, the other set of fingers is being retracted to regain initial gripping position.

Extending between the feed roll 8 and the drum 38 is a guide-plate or guard 78 along which the disintegrated material travels, and between the drum 38 and drum 40 is a like guide-plate or guard 79 covering and guarding the brush roller 46. A bottom plate 80 extends downwardly from said feed roll 8 around the drums 38 and 40 and the under side of the teasing roll, the same terminat ing at its rear end in an exit chute 81, through which the disintegrated material or lint passes to and between a pair of mesh screen cylinders 82 and 83 mounted on their respective shafts 84 and. 85 which are journaled in said frame 1. The disintegrated material or lint is fed out from between the cylinders 82 and 83 in the form of a bat, and delivered through the exit opening 86 of the screen cylinder hood 87 upon a conveyer belt 88 supported on the rollers 89 fixed on shafts 90 journaled between the vbrackets 91 projecting from the rearward end of said frame 1. The bat of disintegrated material or lint is dropped off the discharge end of the conveyer belt into a suitable receptacle if desired. screen cylinder 82 (the upper cylinder 83 being an idler) comprises atdriving pulley 92 fixed on said shaft 43, over which runs a driving belt 93 to the pulley 94'fixed'on the shaft 84 of said cylinder 82. The conveyer belt 88 is driven by a sprocket wheel 95 fixed on the opposite end of said shaft 84, whichdrives a chain 96 to drive a sprocket 97 fixed onthe shaft 90 of an adjacent supporting roller of said conveyer belt.

The screen cylinders 82' and 83 are pref erably made of mesh material providing interstices through which foreign matter such as dust and dirt still accompanying the lint may pass to fall into the well 98, whence it may be carried ofi by suction or in any other desirable manner.

From the above description the general operation as well as the construction of the machine will be readily understood. without necessity for further detailed description,

I am aware that some changes may be made in the several arrangements and combinations of the devices and parts, as well as in the details of the construction of the same, without departing from the sgope of The means for rotating thev ings.

I claim j y 1. In a machine of the kind described, a rotatable teasing roll provided at'its periphery with outwardly projecting teasing brush bristles pivotally associated with said roll, means forfeeding material so as to be engaged by said bristles, a pair of drums beneath said teasing roll adapted to be rotated at slower speed than the latter, said drums having faces comprised of short metallic bristles, the faces of said drums being tangent to said teasing roll, a brush roll intermediate said drums adapted to be rotated at higher speed than the latter, said brush roll having a face comprised of long me tallic bristles, the face of said brush roll being tangent to said drum faces, a bottom plate surrounding said drums and brush roll and the under side of said teasing roll, said bottom plate terminating at its rearward end in a discharge chute, and means at the end of said chute for delivering the product out of the machine.

2. In a machine of the kind described, a frame, an endless conveyer belt at the forward end of said frame, a hollow perforate feed roller mounted at the inner end of said belt, means for connecting the interior of said feed roller with a suction means, an upwardly yieldable idler roller above said feed roller, a teasing roll mounted on said frame in the rear of said feed roller, said wardly proje cting teasing brush bristles pivotally associated therewith, a pair of drums faced with short bristles beneath and tangent to said teasing roll adapted to be rotated at slower speed than the latter, a brush roll faced with long bristles intermediate of and tangent to said respective drums adapted to be rotated at faster speed thanthe latter, and'means inclosing said teasing roll and drums and brush roll, said inclosing means terminating at its rearward end in a discharge chute.

3. In a machine of the-kind described, a frame, an endless conveyer belt at the forward end of said frame, a hollow perforate feed roller mounted at the inner end of said belt, means'for connecting the interior of said feed roller with a suction means, an

wardly projecting teasing brush bristles pivotally associated therewith, automatic gripping devices for holding the material to be treated against the inner face of said feed roll subject to the engagement of said teasing brush bristles therewith, a pair of drums faced with short bristles beneath and tangent to said teasing roll adapted to be retated at slower speed than the latter, a brush roll faced with long bristles intermediate of and tangent to said respective drums adapted to be rotated at faster speed than the latter, and means inclosing said teasing roll and drums and brush roll, said inclosing means terminating at its rearward end in a discharge chute.

4. In a machine of the kind described, a frame, an endless 'conveyer belt at the forward end of said frame, a hollow perforate feed roller mounted at the inner end of said belt, means for connecting the interior of said feed roller with a suction means, an upwardly yieldable idler roller above said feed roller, a teasing roll mounted on said frame in the rear of said feed roller, said teasing roll having at its periphery outwardly projecting teasing brush bristles pivotally associated therewith, automatic gripping devices for holding the material to be treated against the inner face of said feed roll subject to the engagement of said teasing brush bristles therewith, a pair of drums faced with short bristles beneath and tangent to said teasing roll adapted to be r0- tated at slower speed than "the latter, a brush roll faced with long bristles intermediate of and tangent to said respective drums adapted to be rotated at faster speed than the latter, means inclosing said teasing roll and drums and brush roll, said inclosing means terminating at its rearward end in a disj charge chute, a pair rotatable screen cylinders at the outer end of said chute, and a discharge eonve er belt beyond said screen cylinders for elivering the product 'exteriorly of the machine.

5. In a machine of the kind described, a frame, an endless conveyer belt of open mesh material at the forward end of said frame, a hollow perforate feed roller mounted at the inner end of said belt, means for connecting the interior of said feed roller with a suction means, an upwardly yieldable idler roller above said feed roller, a pair of vertically reciprocable plates having resilient gripping fingers at their lower margins, the fingers of one plate intermeshing with the fingers of the other plate, said fingers being adapted to engage and hold material fed over said feed roller against the inner s1de of the latter, means for producing alternate reciprocating movement of said respectlve plates and their fingers, and a rotatable teasing roll having a bristle face mounted on said frame and adapted to operatively engripping fingers at their lower margins, the fingers of one plateintermeshing with the fingers of the other plate, said fingers being adapted to engage and'hold material fed over said feed roller a ainst the inner side of the latter, means or producing alternated reciprocating movement of 'saidrespective plates and their fingers, a rotatable teasing roll having a bristle face mounted on said frame and adapted to operatively engage materialheld against the inner face of said feed roller, a pair of drums faced with short bristles beneath and tangent to e said teasing roll adapted to be rotated at slower speed than the latter, a brush roll faced with long bristles intermediate of and tangent to said respective drums adapted to be rotated at faster speed than the latter, and means inclosing said teasing roll and drums and brush roll, said inclosing means terminating at its rearward end in a discharge chute.

I 7. In a machine of the kind described, a

frame, an endless conveyer belt of open mesh material at the forward end of said frame, a hollow perforate feed roller mounted at the inner end of said belt, means for 0011- necting the interior of said feed roller with a suction means, an upwardly yieldable idler roller above said feed roller, a pair of vertically reciprocable plates having resilient gripping fingers at their lower margins, the fingers of one plate intermeshing with the fingers of the other plate, said fingers being adapted to engage and hold material fed over said feed roller against the innerside of the latter, means for producing alternate reciprocating movement of said respective plates and their fingers, a rotatable teasing roll having a bristle face mounted on said frame and adapted to operatively engage material held against the inner face of saidfeed roller, a pair of drums faced with short bristles beneath and tangent to said teasing roll adapted to be rotated at slower speed than the latter, a brush rollfaced with long bristles intermediate of and tangent to said respective drums adapted to be,rotated at faster speed than the latter, means inclosing said teasing roll and drums and brush roll, said inclosing means terminating at its rearward end in a discharge chute, a pair of rotatable screen cylinders at the outer end of said chute, and a discharge conveyer belt beyond said screen cylinders for delivering the product exteriorly of the machine.

8. In a machine of the kind described, a frame, an endless conveyer belt of open mesh material at the forward end of said frame, a hollow perforate feed roller mounted at the inner end of said belt, means for connecting the interior of said feed roller with a suction means, an upwardly yieldable idler roller above said feed roller, a pair of vertically reciproca-ble plates having resilient gripping fingers at their lower margins, the fingers of one plate intermeshing with the fingers of the other plate, said fingers being adapted to engage and hold material fed over said feed. roller against the inner side of the latter, means for producing alternated reciprocating movement of said respective plates and their fingers, a teasing roll mounted on said frame in the rear of said feed roller, said teasing roll having at its periphery outwardly projecting teasing brush bristles pivotally asso ciated therewith, and means on said roll for limiting the pivotal movement of said brush bristles.

' 9. In a machine of the kind described, a

frame, an endless conveyer belt of open mesh material at the forward end of said frame, a 'hollow perforate feed roller mounted at the inner end of said belt, means for connecting the interior of said feed roller with a suction means, an upwardly yieldable idler roller above said feed roller, a pair of vertically reciprocable plates having resilient gripping fingers at their lower margins, the fingers of one plate intermesh ing with the fingers of the other plate, said fingers being adapted to engage'and hold material fed over said feed roller against the inner side-of the latter, meansfor producing alternated reciprocating movement of said respective plates and their fingers, a teasing roll mounted on said frame in the rear of said feed roller, said teasing roll having at its periphery outwardly projecting teasing ,brush bristles pivotally associated therewith,.means on said roll for limiting the pivotal movement of said brush bristles, a pair of drums faced with short bristles beneath and tangent to said teasing roll adapted to be rotated at slower speed" than the latter, a brush roll faced with long bristles intermediate of and tangent to said respective drums adapted to be rotated'at faster speed than the latter, means inclosing said teasing roll and drums and brush roll,

said inclosing means terminating at its rearward end in'a discharge chute.

10. In a machine of the kind described, a frame, an endless conveyer belt of open mesh material at the forward end of said frame, a hollow perforate feed roller a pair of vertically reciprocable plates having resilient gripping fingers at their'lower margins, the fingers of one plate intermeshing with the fingers of theother plate, said fingers being adapted to engage and hold material fed over said feed roller against the inner side of the latter, means for producing alternate reciprocating movement of said respective plates and their fingers, a teasing roll mounted on said frame in the rear of said feed roller, said teasing roll having at its periphery outwardly projecting teasing brush bristles pivotally associated therewith, means on said roll for limiting the pivotal movement of said brush bristles, a pair of drums faced with short bristles beneath and tangent to said teasing roll adapted to be rotated at slower speed than the latter, a brush roll faced with long bristles intermediate of and tangent to said respective drums adapted to be rotated at faster speed than the latter, means inclosing said teasing roll and drums and brush roll, said inclosing means terminating at its rearward end in a discharge chute, a pair of rotatable screen cylinders at theouter end of said chute, and a .discharge conveyer belt beyond said screen cylinders for delivering the product exteriorly of the machine.

11. In a disintegrating machine, a teas ing roll comprising a main shaft side members fixed on said shaft, carrying rods extending between said side members adjacent to their periphery, teasing brush bristles pivotally mounted on said carrying rods so that their free ends project outwardly, and stop rods extending between said side members intermediate said carrying rods and their bristles for limiting the pivotal movement of the latter.

12. In a disintegrating machine, a teasing roll comprising a main shaft, side membersfixed on said shaft, carrying rods extending between said side members adjacent to their periphery, sleeves loosely mounted on said carrying rods, bristle tufts, means for pivoting said bristle tufts on said sleeves so that their free ends project outwardly, and stop rods extending between said side members intermediate of the rows of bristle tu fts for limiting the pivotal movement of the latter.

In testimony that I claim the invention setforth above I have hereunto set my hand this 4th day of'December, 1919.

FREDERICK VON OSTEN.

Witnesses:

CHARLES SCHUELER, GEOR E D. RICHARDS 

